Enrollment
561
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Grimsley, TN
South Fentress Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for South Fentress Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 470123002029
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Fentress Elementary School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Tennessee schools.
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.5:1
- large classes for Tennessee
- 561
- students enrolled
South Fentress Elementary School has class sizes larger than 81% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Fentress County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470123002029 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Fentress Elementary School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Fentress Elementary School
South Fentress Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Grimsley, Tennessee, enrolling 561 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 561 students, its enrollment sits close to the Tennessee median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 14/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 561 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 21 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Fentress County also operates Pine Haven Elementary (567 students) and York Elementary (467 students) alongside South Fentress Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How South Fentress Elementary School compares
South Fentress Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.5:1 | ▲ 14% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 561 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
561
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 81% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$9,575
per pupil, district-wide
- below Tennessee avg of $10,822
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 561 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 21 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 92.7%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
Two or More 1.6%
African American 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 92.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.8, South Fentress Elementary School is less mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fentress County, which includes South Fentress Elementary School.
$9,575
Per student
-12%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.1%
State 56.3%
Federal 24.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How South Fentress Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Haven Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| York Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Allardt Elementary | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clarkrange High School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fentress Co Adult High School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Fentress Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 567
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 467
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 399
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 231
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 4
- Students per teacher
- 4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Tennessee, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~561 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Fentress Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare South Fentress Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Fentress County's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about South Fentress Elementary School
How many students attend South Fentress Elementary School?
South Fentress Elementary School has 561 students enrolled. It is a public school in Grimsley, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Fentress Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Fentress Elementary School is 17.5:1, which is 14% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Fentress Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at South Fentress Elementary School is White at 92.7% of enrollment, in Grimsley, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Fentress Elementary School?
South Fentress Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is South Fentress Elementary School a good school?
South Fentress Elementary School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Tennessee schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Fentress County?
Besides South Fentress Elementary School, Fentress County also operates Pine Haven Elementary (567 students), York Elementary (467 students), and Allardt Elementary (399 students). See the Fentress County district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.